Editor's Note: The Great Escape

DISCOVER's Invisible Planet issue can take you on a grand tour of just about everything in no time flat.

One of the lousy things about living in New York City is that it is difficult to get away: The journey across potholed Brooklyn streets, backed-up East River bridges, and highways ablaze with brake lights can take a good two hours before you reach the world of clean air and open trails. But one of the great things about working so close to the world of science is that I always have another type of getaway right at hand.